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Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision on strategic identification of friend/foe system procurement; what response he will make to submissions made on behalf of Raytheon and their subcontractors; and if he will make a statement. [128931]
Dr. Moonie [holding answer 4 July 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces gave the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 4 July 2000, Official Report, column 128W.
In accordance with departmental policy, the competing suppliers will be debriefed on the outcome of the competition.
Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what live firing exercises involving MLRS and (a) the Territorial Army and (b) the regular army have taken place this year; and if he will make a statement. [129133]
Mr. Spellar [holding answer 6 July 2000]: The following live firing exercises using Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) have already taken place or are planned for this year:
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 567W
Date | Detail | Location |
---|---|---|
32 Regiment RA | ||
1-16 May | Battery Training--12 Launchers | Salisbury Plan Training Area (SPTA) |
19-26 May | Regimental Exercise--12 Launchers | SPTA |
12-24 June | Divisional Exercise--6 Launchers | SPTA |
1 September-4 October | Ex IRON HAWK--6 Launchers | British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS), Canada |
39 Regiment RA | ||
30 September-6 October | Battery Firing--12 Launchers | Castlemartin |
6-16 October | Regimental Firing-12 Launchers | SPTA |
13 November-1 December | 6 Launchers | Germany |
101 Regiment RA (V) | ||
8-9 April | Regimental Firing--12 Launchers | OTA |
16 June-1 July | Regimental Exercise/US Exchange--12 Launchers | OTA/SPTA |
30 June-1 July | Artillery 2000--2 Launchers | SPTA |
25-26 November | Regimental Live Firing--12 Launchers | OTA |
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 567W
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000, Official Report, column 642W, on the RMPA Programme, what the procurement strategy for the Active Search Sonobuoy
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 568W
System (Service Requirement 903) is; and if he will make a statement. [129463]
Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 569W
Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Paul Keetch, dated 12 July 2000:
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there has been any delay in the Nimrod upgrade programme. [128704]
Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Quentin Davies, dated 12 July 2000:
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contract at BAE in Brough to build Nimrods. [129945]
Dr. Moonie: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Robert Walmsley to Ms Shona McIsaac, dated 12 July 2000:
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 570W
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the policy since 1989 on writing annually to those of his Department's staff who are paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions, reminding them of the rules governing the payment of reduced rates, as recommended in the Inland Revenue guidance note on reduced rate National Insurance contributions for married women. [129490]
Dr. Moonie: The Pay and Personnel Agency (PPA) is the payroll provider for the Ministry of Defence.
It is not the current practice of the PPA to write annually to staff paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions.
We apply a number of checks to identify and act upon any changes of circumstances which affect the continuing payment of reduced rate National Insurance contributions. These systems were audited in March 1998 by Inland Revenue and DSS and they included a 100 per cent. check of all staff then paying reduced rates of contributions. No problems were identified with the systems in operation.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sea-based training takes place at BRNC Dartmouth. [129803]
Mr. Spellar: All Naval Cadets joining BRNC undertake an extensive package of training in the 67 boats owned by the College. This training is carried out on the River Dart and surrounding sea area with some sailing and motor vessels ranging as far as France and the Channel Islands. The aim of this training is to familiarise the cadets with the maritime environment, and all cadets are required to prove their competence in a variety of craft.
In the second term of the cadets' training a six week period is spent undertaking Initial Sea Training (IST) in an operational warship. The ship continues with her normal programme so, for example, cadets were onboard HMS Chatam while she was engaged on Operation Palliser (Sierra Leone). The aim of this period is to provide naval cadets with an experience of life as a junior rating, thus gaining an insight into the working conditions and lifestyle of the men and women they aspire to lead.
Mr. Quentin Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the past year on the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance programme. [129804]
12 Jul 2000 : Column: 571W
Mr. Hoon: NATO Allies remain committed to the definition of a NATO-owned and operated core capability of an Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme. This task is currently being addressed within the Alliance, with the intention of placing into service a NATO-owned and operated core capability in about 10 years' time.
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